


Strong and Tender Hearts

by Green



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Adult Stiles Stilinski, Aged-Up Character(s), Alpha Werewolf Peter Hale, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Werewolves Are Known, Angst and Feels, Baby Cora Hale, Child Derek Hale, Child Laura Hale, Dead Sheriff Stilinski, Fluff and Angst, Foster Care, Gen, No Plot/Plotless, Past Character Death, Spark Stiles Stilinski, Suicide mention, Young Peter Hale, aged-down characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-24
Updated: 2018-08-24
Packaged: 2019-07-01 21:57:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15782907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Green/pseuds/Green
Summary: When Stiles signed up to be a foster parent, when he took the classes and got the certificates, he promised himself he wouldn't say no to a tough case. He'd been a tough case once.15 year old Peter will do a lot for his pack. He'll grovel in family court to keep everyone together. He'll promise to be on his best behavior and to keep his pack in line. He'll say or do anything, but he doesn't have to like it. He certainly doesn't like having to go into foster care...





	Strong and Tender Hearts

**Author's Note:**

> This has no real plot, no real ending. It's just something I wanted to write, and I hope y'all enjoy it. Unbeta'd.

When Stiles signed up to be a foster parent, when he took the classes and got the certificates, he promised himself he wouldn't say no to a tough case. He'd been a tough case once. He knows what it's like to be grieving and fucked up by it, to need something solid to hold onto, even when you want to resist it.

He looks at the file in his hands. There's a big blue sticker on the front denoting a supernatural case, and he's got the training for those, too. Hell, he'd been one, at nine years old with no parents and a newly awakened Spark. But werewolves, a pack of four, is a little different.

No one would blame him if he turned the Hale kids away, and he's questioning his ability to handle them, but this is exactly the kind of situation he knew he'd be in one day. He knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that one day he'd be in the position to do good for a tough case. And he knows better than to think of these kids as another case, too. They're kids.

He opens the file again and looks at their faces. The pictures must have been taken magically, since there's no eyeshine. Photography has come a long way since the supernatural world came into the public eye in the 1940s, and the eyes of the Hale children are certainly not shining.

Well, except for baby Cora's picture. She looks surprised, but there are tears standing in her eyes. The middle two children, Derek and Laura, look sad, resigned. And the oldest — Peter — has anger burning in his eyes. 

Stiles understands that kind of anger. Knows it intimately. So it's not little Cora pulling at his heartstrings, or Derek, or Laura, but Peter. He looks at that anger and he relates to the fifteen year old.

The fifteen year old who happens to be an alpha werewolf.

He makes the call, knowing his life is about to change forever.

* * *

Peter will do a lot for his pack. He'll grovel in family court to keep everyone together. He'll promise to be on his best behavior, and to keep his pack in line. He'll say or do anything but he doesn't have to like it. He certainly doesn't like having to go into foster care, even though he's not old enough to carry the weight of his pack alone. Emancipation would take too long, and he'd be separated from his pack in the meantime.

And so he finds himself being driven, along with his nieces and nephew, to the home of someone who has agreed to take them in, all of them together. He doesn't know what he'll think of them, and at the moment can't think to care. 

Cora is crying. Kira, the child worker driving the van, won't let Peter take the baby out of her carseat, so he's doing his best to comfort her without holding her. He's holding her little hand, stroking the back of it, and talking to her.

"We'll be there soon, Cora. Just a few more minutes and you can get out of the seat. Please don't cry."

She's very loud, and Peter feels guilty. He knows she's crying because of the anxiety and fear she feels along the pack bonds, so he has to do his best to calm Derek and Laura as well, even though they seem — outwardly, at least — to be fine.

"Both of you, take some deep breaths," he tells them. "I'm going to be with you the whole time. No one is taking you away from me. I've got this, okay?"

"I'm not scared," Laura says. Then she looks at Derek. "We'll be okay. Peter's here."

Derek nods and looks at Peter. Cora's crying nearly drowns out his words when he says, "Sorry, Alpha."

Peter doesn't know what to do. He can't tell them not to be scared, can he? He's worried as well. 

From the driver's seat, Kira says, "Stiles isn't scary. He's been a friend for years. He's a little odd, but he loves kids and his house has lots of room and a big backyard."

_Stiles_. That's the name of the foster parent who agreed to take in the Hale pack. Peter is too jaded to hope for the best, but he does know he can take care of himself should 'Stiles' prove to be a bigot or an abuser. He knows he can protect his pack, too, if he has to. Peter may be young, but he's strong and fast and he's the Hale alpha now.

"He's your friend?" Laura asks Kira. She likes the kitsune, and normally Laura doesn't like anyone who isn't pack. She wasn't always like that of course, but the fire changed them all.

Cora's loud screams taper off to pathetic little sobs. Peter leans over and kisses her hair, then rubs his face against her cheek to scent her. That seems to help a little.

"My husband Scott is Stiles's best friend. They've known each other all their lives," Kira says. 

Kira's husband is an alpha werewolf. She told them that right away, though Peter had known from smelling it on her from the time she introduced herself. Peter has a vague recollection of Scott from before the fire — he'd visited with Talia once or twice. He doesn't remember much aside from that, though. Before the fire, Peter didn't really care what was going on in the pack. He was just a normal teenager trying to survive high school. Why would he care about pack politics?

Now he wishes he'd paid more attention. He doesn't even know which treaties the Hales had. He hasn't even been allowed to look at Talia's paperwork. Everything went to the lawyers, and the judge in their case deemed Peter too young for… a lot of things.

Not that treaties mean anything right now. Another pack would probably laugh at them, see them as nothing but orphaned children. They have nothing to offer at the moment, though Peter's looking forward to the day he can inherit what's being held in trust.

Derek elbows Laura and she rolls her eyes. Then she says, "Is he nice?" Then she looks at Peter and bites her lip. "We want him to be nice, right?"

Peter does his best to push reassurance along their bond, and for once it seems he did it right. Laura smiles and looks back at Kira for her answer.

"He's very nice to kids," Kira says. "He's one of the best foster parents we have."

Peter knows those are very different statements. Being nice to kids does not necessarily make someone a good caretaker to them. "What makes him the best?" Peter asks.

"He cares," Kira says. She takes a left at a stop sign, driving into a neighborhood, and Peter looks at the houses. They're more spaced out here, and the houses are bigger than the ones they've been passing. Peter doesn't know this area, but he can tell the residents are more well-off. 

"What does he do for a living?" Peter asks Kira.

She smiles. "He's a writer. His hours are pretty flexible, so he'll be able to give you all the attention you need."

"I don't need attention," Peter's quick to say. But he looks at his sister's children and knows they _do_ need it. Not that he needs anyone to step in and take over his role in the pack. He's the alpha, after all. Taking care of the kids is his responsibility.

Kira gives him a smile he's sick of, though it doesn't look as full of pity as he's used to. She just looks sad. "Give him a chance."

Peter rolls his eyes. Does he have a choice? This is the only way he can keep the pack together. He overheard a lot about their case. He knows they're considered high risk and someone taking them all in at once is 'a fucking miracle', to quote one worker from the group home they stayed in for awhile.

Kira pulls into a driveway, and Peter finds himself curious about the miracle worker. He knows they're a tough case, and he wonders what kind of person would step up and decide to take them on.

"Here we are."

Laura and Derek seem reluctant to get out of the van. After Peter extracts Cora from her car seat, Derek gravitates to his side and seems to stick there. Peter looks down at him and gives him a nod. 

"Ready?" he asks.

Derek shrugs and grabs hold of the back of Peter's shirt. Laura takes Derek's other hand. Peter hitches Cora up higher, holding her close. She buries her face in his neck.

Kira watches them. He would have expected her to go to the house immediately, but she seems to be waiting on him to give the word. He nods at her, and she smiles. Then they follow her up to the front door.

Peter feels something as they walk up the sidewalk. Like a barrier, though it does allow him to pass. He frowns. "Wards?"

Kira turns around right before knocking. "Oh! Right. Yeah, Stiles put them up." She smiles. "You should ask him about them, so you know you're safe here."

"They let us in," Peter points out. "They can't be too strong."

The door opens and a man in his late twenties stands at the threshold. His eyes go straight to Peter. "The wards work on intention. No one with ill intent can enter."

"You're a magic user?" Peter asks, wondering if he should be leery or count this as a good thing. 

The man who must be Stiles nods. "I'm a Spark. Stiles Stilinski. Welcome to my home, Alpha Hale."

Peter's back stiffens at the title. Is the man teasing him? He narrows his eyes. He can feel Laura's interest through the pack bonds, and Derek's constant wariness, and Cora's fussy hunger. It's time for her lunch.

"What's a Spark?" Laura asks.

Kira grins and pushes Stiles out of the way before he can answer. "Invite us in, silly."

"Oh, right. Um, Peter — can I call you Peter?" Stiles asks, and waits for Peter's nod before he goes on. "Your pack is welcome here. I've got your rooms set up, and all the paperwork is signed, so here you go. Home sweet home."

Peter would sneer at that last sentiment if it wasn't delivered in such a knowing way. Stiles and Kira lead them inside, and Peter holds Cora a little closer. Laura wanders a few feet from Peter as she takes in the room, but Derek stays behind him, clutching his shirt.

The house is big, but not uncomfortable. Stiles leads them through the foyer to a living room. The TV is large but not obnoxious so. Peter spies a video game console. The couch and loveseat look soft and comfortable, perfect for cuddling up with children as they watch their favorite cartoons. 

"You can sit while we get to know each other, or I can show you the rest of the house first," Stiles says. "I know you probably don't want to do much talking yet, and that's okay. But I'd like to have a few words with you today."

Cora lets out a displeased wail. Oh, right. "It's Cora's lunchtime. They all need to eat, really," Peter says.

"Soup and sandwiches okay?" Stiles asks. "I haven't done a big grocery run yet because I wanted to find out what you like first. I did buy baby food and toddler formula, though."

Peter nods. Kira makes a soft sound and when they all turn to her she's smiling. "Do you want me to go ahead and go?"

Laura looks disappointed, but she doesn't object. Peter takes a deep breath and says, "We'll be fine. Thank you, Kira." The words sound stiff to him, but Kira just smiles and nods. 

Surprisingly, she gives Stiles a hug before she leaves. "Good luck," she says. "Call if you need anything." Then she looks at Peter, and Laura too. "That goes for all of you. You have my number."

After Kira leaves, Stiles leads them into the kitchen. To the pantry, where he has a bunch of canned soups. "I live on this stuff half the time," he explains. "But that'll change. I'll make real meals for you guys."

Laura and Stiles agree on grilled cheese and tomato soup. Peter sits back until Stiles gets out a jar of baby food and a sippy cup, and then he takes over. He can do this much, at least.

Stiles gives him a long look, and then nods. Peter doesn't know what it means, but it makes him feel better.

"Put mustard on Derek's?" Laura asks when Stiles is putting together the cheese and bread. 

Stiles looks at Derek. "You like mustard, buddy? Me too."

Derek says nothing. He doesn't even nod. Peter sighs and runs a careful hand over his soft hair. Derek leans into the touch, but he finally unsticks himself from Peter's side once it's time to eat.

Peter feeds Cora from a jar with a soft baby-sized spoon. It's not new. Stiles must have fostered a baby before.

Once they're done eating, Peter and Laura clear the table, even though Stiles says to leave it and he'll get it later. Peter cleans up Cora and listens as Stiles explains to Laura what a Spark is. Most of it is new information. Peter didn't realize how rare they were, or how powerful. Not that Stiles is bragging, but Peter can read between the lines.

Cora is rubbing her eyes and whining. Peter needs to put her down for a nap.

"Do you want me to show you the nursery?" Stiles asks.

But Peter shakes his head. "I just need a blanket." He'll put her down on the floor in the living room where he can keep an eye on her.

Stiles doesn't argue. He smiles and disappears into another room. Derek and Laura look at Peter. He shrugs.

Then Stiles comes back with a small quilt. "I got this from a really crafty witch. She stitches protection and sleep-well spells into them. Cora will have nothing but good dreams."

"Do you have one for big kids?" Laura asks hesitantly, and Peter feels his heart breaking. From the look on Stiles's face, he feels the same.

"I don't, I'm sorry. But I can make some charms to put under your pillow if you'd like that?" Stiles says.

Laura smiles. Peter isn't sure what to think.

* * *

Stiles thinks everything is going well. He gets the kids settled in, shows them their rooms and closets, and gets their meager belongings put away. 

He orders pizza for dinner, and makes a mental note of what toppings they like. He's making lots of mental notes, so much that he starts writing things down. 

So far, he has several lists. There's so much to do. He has to get the kids new clothes, new toys, and he needs to get groceries ASAP. He also needs to figure out what school supplies he has to buy them.

It's a lot, all at once, but he's up to the task. 

He thinks the kids will probably sleep together for awhile, and he's right. Not long after bedtime, he hears little footsteps in the hall. Peter's bedroom only has a queen-sized bed, and Stiles wonders if he should get a king. Four kids in a queen can't be comfortable.

He checks on them an hour later. Unsurprisingly, Peter's awake, and when Stiles opens the door, his eyes glow red. Stiles lets his eyes linger on the children, sees them cuddled up together and sleeping. The baby quilt is pulled over both Cora and Derek. Laura and Derek hold hands in their sleep. 

"You should try to sleep too, Peter," Stiles whispers.

Peter looks at his pack and shrugs. Then he slips out of the bed and follows Stiles downstairs into the living room. Stiles expected Peter to stay with the children, so he's mildly surprised.

"Want me to make some hot chocolate?" Stiles asks.

Peter sits down on the sofa and shakes his head. "We should talk about what's expected of us here." The words are very adult. Stiles marvels at how much the boy has taken on.

Stiles has thought about this, though. "You'll go to school, do your homework, come home at a reasonable hour. On the weekends your curfew will be 11pm. I don't expect you to have perfect grades, but I do want you to do your best. You'll have chores, but nothing unreasonable." He can tell by the look on Peter's face that this isn't going where he thought. 

"My pack is my life now," Peter says, then sneers. "I won't be going out to parties."

"You're fifteen, but you aren't raising these kids alone. I'm here to help."

Peter glowers. "We're here because it's the law. I don't need a fucking father figure. Those kids are mine, now. I don't need your help with them."

"You're their uncle and their alpha. But you're still very young, and you should have a life. Friends. A girlfriend — or a boyfriend, or whatever — and aspirations for the future. I've seen your grades. You should be thinking about graduating and going to college."

Peter sinks down into the couch. "I don't even want to go back to school; I need to take care of Cora."

"No, that's my job," Stiles says firmly. "I'm the foster parent here, it's my responsibility to take care of you. All of you."

"I don't need taking care of," Peter says with a frown.

"You need care and protection, too."

"Protection?" Peter asks, and sits up. His eyes widen. "They caught the hunters who burned down the house. Are… were there more of them?"

Stiles shakes his head. "No, not as far as we know. The Argents will go to trial and then spend the rest of their lives in prison. But you have to know there will always be bigots like them. Plus, you're in a vulnerable position as a young alpha."

"Someone might try to kill me for the power," Peter says solemnly. "Or even for the territory."

Stiles nods. "But you're in luck — you've got me on your side."

"Why do you even want to be?" Peter asks, sounding quietly bewildered.

"Because I know what it's like to lose everything, or nearly everything. You need someone in your corner, and I'm here."

Peter looks curious, but he doesn't ask. Not yet. Stiles knows eventually he will. But apparently it won't be tonight, which is good since Stiles doesn't want to talk about his past.

"Go on back upstairs and try to get some sleep," Stiles tells him.

Peter gives him a long look, and for a moment Stiles thinks he'll argue. But then he nods and gets up. He doesn't say anything else, not a thanks or a goodnight. But Stiles doesn't think that's necessary and neither, it seems, does Peter.

* * *

And so Peter goes back to school. Cora starts crying, picking up on his anxiety, as they get ready to leave. But Stiles doesn't look concerned.

"She'll be fine," he says.

"She has separation anxiety," Peter mumbles. _We all do_.

The look Stiles gives him is kind. "I know."

Still, Peter hesitates. 

"I can bring her by during your lunch," Stiles says, and Peter lets out a breath.

"Yeah. Okay." 

Laura only sniffles a little when it's time to go. Derek clings to Peter's side, sniffing loudly.

"It's okay," Peter tells them both. "We'll all be back here this afternoon. We'll be back together before you know it." He's telling himself this, too. It's hard. He knows how hard it is. But he also knows this is necessary, and it's his job to make sure they do what they have to.

They all get into Stiles's car. There's just enough room for them and no more. They stop at the elementary school first, and let Derek and Laura out. Laura insists they don't need to be walked inside, and there are helpers outside so Peter nods. 

"Be good," he says, and then feels immediately dumb. But Laura nods and Derek sniffles and off they go, holding tight to each other's hand.

Then Stiles drives them to the high school. "If you need anything, call me." Peter doesn't have a new phone yet, though Stiles has promised to get him one on his plan, but he did memorize Stiles's number.

So really, everything is taken care of. Cora is safe with Stiles. The middles are going back to school after weeks of uncertainty. It's good for them, Peter knows, to get back into a good routine.

He still hates being away from his pack. He hasn't left the car yet, but Stiles isn't saying anything to push him away. Peter glances into the backseat, gives Cora a smile. She's still cranky since she's picking up on his mood, so he does his best to send her a little reassurance. He's new to manipulating the pack bonds, though. She frowns and makes grabby hands at him.

He reaches back and takes one of her hands and squeezes lightly. "I have to go to school too, pup."

The hardest thing isn't leaving the car, it's not going back when he hears her start to wail.

* * *

The first thing Stiles buys is a baby sling. It fits tighter, more secure than a regular carrier, and he thinks Cora will like that… eventually. It leaves his hands free to do things like shopping and making bottles.

Cora's been crying, off and on, since Peter went to school. She seems a little less fussy in the sling, though. And now Stiles is able to go grocery shopping.

He has a list of foods the kids like, painstakingly written over the past day. He ends up with an overflowing shopping basket, but that's fine. Stocking the kitchen is a must.

He goes home and lets Cora play with cans on the kitchen floor while he puts everything away. She gets into one of the bags while his back is turned and finds the bananas. She's already taken a bite out of one when he catches her, and he has to laugh because she's trying to eat it peel and all.

"You'll choke," Stiles admonishes, trying to dig the peel out of her mouth. Cora growls and bites at him with needle-sharp fangs. "Ouch! No biting, sweetie."

He gets her seated in the high chair with some mashed banana (no peel), and she eats it with gusto. He gives her a sippy cup with juice and then heats up some tender pieces of roast for her, too. Her eyes go big when she smells the meat, and he laughs.

"You little carnivore. Of course you like that best."

Somewhere between feeding Cora her early lunch and making sure she doesn't bite his fingers off, Stiles gets the groceries put away. After she eats, Cora starts to make cranky little sounds. She needs a nap. He changes her diaper and puts her down with the charmed blanket in the crib, but she isn't having it.

She cries for about five minutes before he takes pity and picks her up again. There's a rocking chair in the nursery and he sits with her against his chest, rocking and humming a Polish lullaby he vaguely remembers from his own childhood.

Eventually, Cora stops fussing and sleeps. Stiles doesn't dare try to put her down again, so he just rocks her and makes notes on his phone. He still needs to buy the kids some clothes and Peter a phone. The clothes he can order online, but he thinks he'll take Peter into the store to pick up the phone. Maybe after school today.

And then he remembers he needs to be at Peter's school for lunch. He looks at the time and sees he has fifteen minutes before he should leave. He hates to wake Cora, but maybe she'll fall asleep again in the car.

Once he gets to the school he finds Peter waiting outside for them. Cora squeals when she sees him, holding out her arms and wiggling in her carseat. Peter smiles, wide and sure, when he sees her. In an instant his tense form goes relaxed and happy. Peter's opening the car door before Stiles has a chance to turn the car off.

"Her nap was cut short," Stiles tells him. He watches as Peter gets Cora out of the carseat and pulls her to him.

Peter hums and scents the baby, his eyes closed. Cora lets out a happy whine as she instinctively scents back.

It makes Stiles's heart go even more tender at the sight. "How long do you have? I could take you to lunch somewhere," he says.

"This is fine," Peter says, not looking at him.

Stiles frowns. "You need to eat." He wishes he'd thought to bring something for Peter. "How about a burger?"

"Fine." He doesn't sound enthused, but Stiles is just relieved he'll eat.

He takes Peter and Cora to his favorite diner. It's packed for lunch, but Sylvia winks at Stiles and almost magically gets them seated in a booth and has food in front of them in no time. Stiles and Peter alternate feeding Cora tiny spoonfuls of strawberry milkshake while they eat fat cheeseburgers and curly fries. Stiles is surprised Peter's letting him help, but he takes it as a good sign.

After they eat, Peter sighs. "I have to get back to school, I guess."

"It's not going well?" Stiles asks.

Peter shrugs. "It's different. Everybody knows about what happened to my pack, and everyone knows I'm the alpha now. So it's not just like going back to school and everything's normal."

Stiles remembers that feeling well, but he's not sure if Peter will believe him if he says he knows what he's going through. He does have advice, though. "Keep your head up and just power through. And remember your pack is there when you get home."

Peter looks up from where he's fiddling with a straw wrapper. 

"I wish I'd had someone after my parents were gone. It would have made a big difference."

Peter gives him a long look, then nods. He's silent as Stiles drives him back to school. Stiles wonders what he's thinking, but he's not going to pry. Peter gives Cora a kiss on the forehead, then walks back into the school building. 

Stiles looks at the baby. "Just you and me now, kiddo."

Cora makes a fussy sound and Stiles drives back home so she can finish her nap.

* * *

They fall into a routine. It's not easy, not at first, but because Peter works hard to get along for the sake of his pack, and because Stiles only seems to want to help him and the kids, things do work out.

Laura and Derek take their cues from Peter at first, being polite but wary, but once they see things are somewhat calm and safe, their personalities start to come out of hiding. Laura gets louder, talks more, and shows an interest in sports. Derek smiles more and asks Stiles to read to him, or rather to help him read for himself. Both kids are bright and curious about nearly everything, though they have different ways of showing it. Peter's so proud of them.

Cora seems just as resilient as the other children, and she fusses less and smiles more. Every time she laughs, Peter smiles, delighted and secretly relieved.

One thing that that really helps them is knowing Stiles understands. Not long into their stay, he brought them all together and told them a little about his past. He lets Derek and Laura know he was a foster kid, too. He'd been older than them, just nine, when he lost his parents. And because he was a newly awakened Spark, not many foster parents wanted to take him on. He was dubbed a problem supernatural case, and Peter knows the kids have heard the same whispered about them.

After that, Derek begins to bond with Stiles. Laura relaxes. And even though she doesn't understand, Cora feels her siblings' ease with him and does so much better because of it.

Then, after the kids have gone to sleep, Stiles explains even more, reveals the things he didn't want to mention to the younger children. 

"My mother had dementia. My father and I watched her lose herself. She wasn't my mom anymore, by the end, and then she died. My dad didn't take it well." 

Stiles is sitting beside Peter on the sofa. They have steaming cups of hot cocoa. Stiles wraps his hands around his mug as if his fingers are freezing, even though it's a warm night. He blows across the hot chocolate and looks off to somewhere Peter can't see. 

"My dad shot himself," Stiles says quietly. "I was nine years old and I didn't have any other family, no other support. Just my best friend Scott, but he was nine, too. What could he do?" He sighs and turns his head, giving Peter a bitter smile. "And that's when my magic came. Sparks don't usually manifest until their mid to late teens, so nobody even knew what I was at first. I was blowing up lightbulbs and small electronics at _nine years old_. No control, just a lot of fear and anger."

"Shit," Peter says. He doesn't know what else to say. He remembers what it was like to become an alpha suddenly, to lose every adult in his life, and yeah… he'd been angry. Still is, to be honest, but most of the time he's too busy and stressed to show it. He can't imagine what it would've been like at a much younger age. "That really sucks."

Stiles nods. "It does. It did. I was in a lot of different foster homes before Bobby took me in. He's the foster dad who stuck. He took me and got me help, found me teachers and therapists until I could control myself and wasn't quite so pissed off all the time."

Peter looks away. He knows what's coming, now. _Therapy_.

"I want you to meet my best friend, Scott," Stiles says. "He was almost as young as you when he became alpha, and he's been through the ups and downs, knows all about the learning curve. I think if you talked to him some, he could help."

Peter scowls, but as much as he wants to believe he can do this alone, he knows he can't. 

"And yeah, therapy, too," Stiles says. "For all of you. Grief therapy is helpful, and you're all dealing with a shit-ton of grief right now." 

"Derek and Laura, too?" Peter asks.

Stiles nods. "They need more than just a school counsellor. And if you go, you'll set a good example for them."

Peter sighs. The thing is, he knows Stiles is right. 

"What's Scott like?" Peter asks, setting the question of grief therapy aside for now.

"Kind, laid back, wants to save the world. Loves animals. He's a vet," Stiles says. "We don't always see eye to eye on everything, but he's a good guy. And he'll want to help you be the best alpha you can be. I know you probably weren't trained for it. So he can give you that."

And having an in with another local pack would be good. Peter nods. "Okay, I'll meet him."

Stiles grins. "That's great."

"Thank you," Peter says, as earnestly as he can. He leans against Stiles, the way he would with any other pack member, though this time the pack member is an adult.

It's good to have an adult again.


End file.
